OUR PICKS Exhibition Imagi ...

July 23, 2004

OUR PICKS

Exhibition

Imagine rooms from a dollhouse designed by Saul Steinberg, Joseph Cornell and the Brothers Quay, and you'll almost have an idea of what Andrew Krieger's tiny, boxed environments are like: too sad to be twee, too droll to be depressing. Several examples of the Washington artist's 3-D work, along with his drawings and etchings, go on view Saturday at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in "Thinking Inside the Box: The Art of Andrew Krieger." Call 202-639-1700.

-- Michael O'Sullivan

Music

"Who's the cat that won't cop out / When there's danger all about? Shaft!" aka Isaac Hayes, who with his memorable score for that blaxploitation classic and a gold-bedecked stage persona that underscored his stardom in the '70s, presaged hip-hop's bling-bling posturing by several years. Hayes is at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre on Saturday, with opener Ayanna Gregory, daughter of Dick. As the song says, this cat "is a bad mother . . . (shut your mouth!)" Call Ticketmaster, 202-397-7328.

-- Richard Harrington

Film

Nuri Bilge Ceylan's critically

acclaimed "Distant" is a meditative wonder, a film about solitary existence. In the middle of the goofy summer season, it's a refreshing drink of water. See review on Page 37.